


green to gold

by annber



Category: The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb)
Genre: M/M, Peter has ambiguous insecurities, Pining, boys being dumb, brief appearance by Harry Osborn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 13:41:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10618062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annber/pseuds/annber
Summary: Flash and Peter have somehow wound up in the same friend group in college. A lot of things are different but some things are still the same.





	

Peter probably shouldn’t have had the fourth shot.

In retrospect. It was a bad idea.

He moans quietly into his hand, letting his eyes slip closed.

Most nights that he went out, rare as they were, it wasn’t until the following morning that he realized how badly he was messing up.

But today…

Peter moans again.  

This is possibly the worst night of his life and it’s not even over yet.

 

Things have changed for Peter since he started college.  
He actually has a group of friends now. Sure, it’s small. There’s only seven of them and most of the time Peter feels like an outlier or an afterthought.  
But he still counts. He still has friends.  
As in plural.

So that’s been really nice.

Even if Flash Thompson happens to be one of them.

Don’t get Peter wrong it was awkward as hell for the first six months.  
To be honest, Peter still isn’t completely comfortable around him.

One comment about how ‘cuddly’ Peter looks in his hoodie is enough to make him want to bury himself in his hood for the rest of the day.  
Sure, Flash had laughed as he said it, tugging on one of the strings but it still felt like a jab at Peter’s physique.

Peter’s still not used to being this size.  
Someday he will be. He hopes.

 

And, okay, all of that was fine.

Right? It had been fine.

But then fucking Jamie and her big fucking mouth.

They’d gotten lunch together and Peter had been laughing at Flash because he grabbed tapioca pudding instead of vanilla.  
Flash hates tapioca pudding and while his pout was pretty adorable, it was also hilarious.

Jamie had only rolled her eyes and taken a judgmental sip of her tea.

            “There’s always so much tension between you two,” she said.

Peter rolled his eyes, used to this kind of teasing from their friends.  
None of them knew what had gone on between them in high school.  
Flash and Peter had both agreed on that.

Flash was a different guy now and there was really no reason to re-hash all that.

So Peter had laid it off on his shyness and it hadn’t been too much of a problem.  
Not lately anyway.

“Just wish you two would fuck and get over it,” Jamie finished.  
Then she bit into a baby carrot as if she hadn’t just shattered Peter’s entire world.

            “What?” he’d tried to laugh.  
It hadn’t really worked.

Jamie gave him A Look.

            “Pete, come on. You’re always a dick to Flash. You’re not a dick to anyone. Pigtail pulling much?”

Peter’s face had flamed.  
He was surprised his glasses hadn’t fogged up.

He’d looked to Flash, which was a mistake, but Peter honestly didn’t know what else to do.

Flash was just watching him, speculative.

He didn’t think Jamie was right, did he?

 _Wait_.  
And this is where things really got trippy.  
_Was Jamie right?_

She couldn’t be.

 

As much as Peter wanted to laugh at Jamie and then himself, he couldn’t.

Sure, he’d noticed that Flash was attractive.  
Lots of people noticed that. Really, lots.

But he didn’t…like Flash.  
He couldn’t.

Peter pushed away from the table, leaving the rest of his lunch behind.

It was probably more telling than anything else but he couldn’t stop himself.

He’d barely started to accept Flash as his friend.  
He couldn’t do this.

Peter couldn’t face down the fact that he had a crush on Flash Thompson.

 

Of course, Flash is at the bar tonight.

Peter had only talked himself into going because his dinner with a few other TA’s had gotten out late and he was mostly sure Flash wouldn’t be out on a Tuesday.

Now Peter’s well on his way to being truly smashed and also hiding in the bathroom.

 _Get it together_ he thinks. _What’s going to happen if Flash comes in here?_

Peter shudders at that thought.

Is he going to have to leave his friend group?

Peter’s eyes grow wide at the thought.

Sober he probably wouldn’t worry about it but now it’s all he can think about.

He supposes he’ll have to talk to Flash about all of this.

But not tonight.

Tonight he wants to have a couple more shots; make it back to his dorm and maybe cry in the shower before falling into bed.

 

With that thought in mind Peter halfheartedly washes his face before forcing himself to leave the bathroom.

He makes his way back to the bar and elbows his way in to lean against it.

It takes a couple minutes for someone to stop, during which Peter taps his toe and hopes Flash doesn’t come over to him.

Wallet empty for the night Peter tucks it back into his pocket and settles in to wait again.

It seems to take longer to get his shots this time and when someone does stop in front of him they don’t set down any glasses, dropping off a plate instead.

            “I didn’t order this,” Peter tries to tell the girl.  
Too bad she’s already down the bar to another customer.

Actually the burger and fries sitting in front of him looks really good.

Sighing quickly, Peter takes the plate and goes to find a table.

He supposes the burger will help him get back to his room. It’ll probably help with the hangover too.

 

Peter’s on his third fry before he realizes that maybe the burger wasn’t a bartender’s mistake.

Too late he glances around the bar for Flash.

He does manage to see the part of their group that came tonight – that he’s been avoiding as if his life depended on it.  
Flash isn’t with them anymore though.

            “Pete.”

Flash takes the chair next to Peter without asking, sitting close enough that their knees brush.

Peter swallows with some difficulty.

            “Flash,” he manages.

            “You look good,” Flash adds. “The jacket your boyfriend’s?”

            “No,” Peter says, probably too sharp.  
He’d overcompensated when buying it and it was clearly too big for him but too big was better than too small.

            “Look, I’m not,” Flash pauses to lean closer. “I don’t have a problem with you dating guys.”

            “I’m not dating anyone,” Peter explains.  
His tongue is too damn loose.  
“Guys aren’t banging down my door either.”

            “You don’t want any drama anyway,” Flash smiles, “right?”

Peter sets down the burger and sighs.

            “I can’t tell if you’re mocking me. You know I don’t understand sarcasm.”

 

Flash reaches out, gently wrapping his hand around Peter’s wrist.

            “I know,” he says simply. “I’m not mocking you. I kind of make a point not to mock people.”

 _Anymore_ Peter thinks.  
Neither of them say it.

Flash sighs, a smile there and gone.  
For a second Peter is certain they’re thinking the same thing.

He’s still holding Peter’s wrist.

            “You order this for me?”

            “Am I that transparent?” Flash laughs then, finally drawing his hand away.

            “No, I mean yeah. But it’s cute – you being a mother hen now.”

            “Don’t want to be your mother,” Flash says.

Peter frowns.

It’s not only sarcasm that he doesn’t understand.  
Peter doesn’t understand people half the time.

Sometimes alcohol helps sometimes it only makes it worse.

            “What do you want?”

            “Want to take you home,” Flash says, “make sure you’re okay,” he clarifies.

            “I think I can make it myself,” Peter answers. “Especially now that you’ve bought me this burger.”

 

Flash is quiet for several moments.

            “I’m really trying not to take advantage right now.”

Peter jerks at that, trying to settle again.

            “Explain.”

            “What Jamie said at lunch today,” Flash presses. “Why did it bother you?”

Unbearably, Peter feels his face heating again.

            “I don’t wanna talk about that.”

Peter abandons his food completely then, he struggles out of the chair.

He needs to get out of here.

            “Pete, wait,” Flash calls out.

Flash catches his elbow but Peter keeps going, dragging Flash with him.

“I’m sorry,” Flash is saying as they spill onto the sidewalk. “I know you’re drunk and I shouldn’t-”

            “I don’t wanna talk about it,” Peter repeats.

            “Okay,” Flash agrees. “I’m sorry.”

Peter feels so stupid.  
How could he be so ignorant of his own feelings?

“I’ll take you home,” Flash says.

 

Peter swallows down the denial.

His dorm isn’t far at all. He’s certain he could make it on his own.

But…he sort of wants Flash to walk him home.  
He sort of wants to feel like Flash is going to protect him.

God he’s a romantic drunk, isn’t he?

            “I didn’t know,” Peter mumbles as they walk, “I didn’t know I was being mean to you.”

            “You weren’t.” Flash bumps their shoulders together gently. “You’re too nice to me probably. After everything…”

            “At least you were stupid back then,” Peter sighs, “instead of now.”

            “You’re not stupid.”

Peter smiles at that, cheeks flushing again.  
It’s more pleasant this time though.

            “I am with people,” he admits. “I didn’t even know I liked you,” he snorts, “and how ridiculous is that? We’ve known each other for like…eight years.”

Flash is quiet for an awkwardly long time and Peter runs back over what he said.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he adds.

            “Maybe stop talking?” Flash suggests.

            “No, I, um – don’t be angry? Like…I know I like you as a friend. And it’s weird sometimes and you make me feel bad sometimes but I guess it’s because I’ve _like_ liked you this whole time and didn’t know. Which is weird, right?”

 

Flash stops, half turning to him.

            “I make you feel bad?”

Peter stops too, frowning.

Why is Flash fixating on that?

            “Sometimes,” Peter agrees, because Flash asked. “Like on Thursday when I was wearing my grey hoodie and you said I looked cuddly or comfy or whatever when we both know I just looked like a slob.”

Flash is nearly smiling.

            “I wasn’t being sarcastic,” he says. “You did look cuddly. You look cuddly right now. And why did you have so many shots?”

Peter snorts then.

            “Because,” he explains, “emotions.”

Flash laughs quickly.

            “Come on,” he says, walking again.

 

Peter doesn’t notice they’re not at his dorm until they’re in the elevator.

At this point, he decides not to question it.

If Flash was going to murder him he’d probably have done it by now.

So in a way, Peter trusts Flash.

That’s nice.

Peter sighs and leans against Flash’s shoulder.  
He closes his eyes.

…

When Peter wakes up he’s alone in Flash’s bed.

He can smell Flash all around him and wonders for a moment if they shared his bed last night.  
Then Peter opens his eyes fully and looks around the room.

Thankfully, he’s alone.

Peter sinks back into the pillow beneath his head and inhales again.

Sure, he’s missed class by now but he’ll worry about that later.

After an indeterminable amount of time Peter finally rolls over to search out his phone.

Flash’s nightstand is behind him and Peter grunts at it before forcing himself to sit up.

He’s still dressed and Peter is swamped with thankfulness again.

His shirt has a few buttons opened and he’s missing his jacket and a sock but other than that he’s covered.

Peter groans again.

He grasps the bottle of water next to his phone.  
It takes Peter another moment to gather the energy to twist the top off, then he takes as long of a swallow as he can manage.

Once that’s done, he picks up his phone.

 

There’s three texts and a notification from snapchat, puzzled, Peter opens snapchat first.

Peter has two snaps from Flash, both from that morning.  
He hardly ever uses snapchat so it’s a bit surprising that he has anything waiting for him at all.

The first snap is Flash modeling Peter’s jacket. It’s captioned _who wore it better?!_ with a few random emojis.

Peter rolls his eyes, he’s smiling though.

The jacket doesn’t quite fit Flash right either which makes Peter feel a bit better about the entire thing.

His cheeks heat as the second snap loads.

It’s a picture of Peter, mouth hanging open as he sleeps.  
This one is captioned _stalker pic_ with three ghost emojis.

Peter closes out the app without responding to either.

He doesn’t flop backwards but it’s a near thing.

Instead he covers his face with a hand briefly before deciding to deal with his texts.

One is from a classmate, asking where he is.  
Peter ignores this.

Then there’s a text from Harry and one from Flash as well.

Blowing out a sigh, Peter forces himself to open Flash’s.

It’s short simply saying _lunch?_

 

If Peter hauls ass he can probably meet Flash.

Does he want to?

Peter has a pretty good recollection of last night. He doesn’t know that he wants to talk about it with Flash though.

For a moment Peter really wishes he’d turned his read notifications off.  
The thought of it had always made him feel guilty though.

Leaving Flash’s text unanswered also makes him feel guilty but Peter ignores it, opening Harry’s text.

_you okay?_

Peter flicks his eyes closed.

How does he even begin to answer that?  
_Is_ he okay?

Wait.

Does Harry know?  
Do all of their friends know?

Does Flash?

This time Peter does lie back down.

His head is thumping painfully and he has to force himself to keep breathing.

 

Peter holds down the home button until Siri’s annoying voice filters from the speaker.

            “Call Harry,” he tells Siri.

            “Hey, Parker,” Harry answers after a few rings.

Peter waits a beat.

            “Are you alone?”

            “Uh,” Harry hesitates. “Sure, one second.”

There’s some quiet shuffling on the line and then what sounds like a door closing.

“What’s up?”

            “Okay,” Peter hesitates, “don’t laugh at me.”

Harry doesn’t agree verbally and Peter can picture him either smirking or looking vaguely concerned.  
He doesn’t know which to hope for.

“I didn’t know I liked Flash,” Peter admits.

            “Yeah,” Harry agrees unexpectedly. “We kinda put that together though.”

Peter’s stomach sinks down through the floor.

            “Does Flash know?”

            “We haven’t talked about it with him,” Harry says.

Peter can hear the eye roll.

“We’re your friends. A bit meddlesome, not dicks.”

 

Peter sighs heavily.

            “Things are complicated between us. I’ve never thought about it.”

            “You guys went to high school together, right?”

He only hums in agreement, unwilling to say anything else.

            “Do you think he likes me back?”

            “Who wouldn’t like you?” Harry asks.

Peter snorts.

            “Shut up, I’m serious.”

            “He took you home last night, didn’t he?”

            “Did he tell you that?”

            “We watched you leave together, Pete.”

Tension eases from Peter’s shoulders at that.  
He doesn’t know why but it seems more important if Flash isn’t telling their friends about it.  
Like maybe something is happening between them.

            “Right,” Peter agrees.

            “I have to go,” Harry says next, “but try to chill, right?”

Peter laughs quietly.

            “Sure.”

 

They hang up and Peter spins the phone in his hand a moment.

He opens his texts to Flash again.

It’s not like he can avoid him, not for long at least.

 _still in bed_ he admits.

Flash responds almost immediately.

_bring u something_

 

Peter hauls his ass out of bed and rifles through Flash’s things to brush his teeth and find some deodorant.

He borrows a shirt before sinking back into bed.

There’s no telling when Flash will arrive but he feels much more prepared for whatever’s coming.

He doesn’t sleep again. Instead Peter flicks through apps on his phone.  
For a moment he debates emailing his professor from the missed class this morning but doesn’t feel up to it.

Flash knocks before coming in. Peter’s not sure why it makes him blush.

He flattens his hair halfheartedly before crossing to the door and opening it.

Flash is cradling a bag of takeout food, two bottles of soda under an arm as well.

            “Hey,” Peter offers.

            “How you feeling?” Flash asks, slipping through the space Peter makes for him.

            “Fine,” Peter says. “Luckily I didn’t get _too_ crazy last night.”

Flash hums in agreement, watching Peter intently.

“What?” Peter asks.

He’s half tempted to reach for the food but he’s also a bit paralyzed.

 

            “Nothing,” Flash says, a beat too late. “Let’s eat.”

He puts the food down on the bed before offering Peter one of the sodas.

Next, Flash drags over his desk chair, leaving Peter to sit on the unmade bed again.

Peter steadfastly ignores the awkwardness, reaching into the bag to pull out two Styrofoam containers.

            “Oh thank god,” Peter exhales as he opens the lid.

There’s a burger and fries inside, still hot.

            “Yeah,” Flash grins, “I’m a rock star, I know.”

Rather than responding, Peter lifts his burger and takes a bite.

He barely holds back a groan of pleasure.  
Nothing could be more right in the world at this moment.

            “I think I love you,” Peter mumbles.  
He takes another bite.

            “If I had known it was this easy I would have bought you a burger ages ago,” Flash teases.

Of course, Peter’s giant brain starts cranking at that.

He lets his burger drop down slowly.

Does Flash know?

 

            “Peter,” Flash sighs, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Peter sets the burger back in the container carefully.  
He can’t quite make himself look up though.

“Peter,” Flash tries again. Then, “Pete.”

Flash wheels his chair closer, one of the wheels squeaking as he does.

He reaches out, thumb swiping along Peter’s mouth.

Peter jumps at the touch, adrenaline flooding his system.

“I’m never gonna be able to joke with you, am I?” Flash asks quietly. “Not that it’s anyone’s fault but my own.”

            “I just,” Peter pauses to sigh, “never know what you mean.”

            “Okay,” Flash agrees.

He stands from the chair, but he’s still stooped over.

Flash is kissing him before Peter realizes what’s happening.

It’s nothing more than a soft press of lips but it’s all Peter can focus on.  
All he can feel is Flash’s lips.

“Is this okay?” Flash draws away to ask.

            “I,” is all Peter manages.  
He swallows.  
“Okay, yeah.”

            “Think it over,” Flash tells him.

He kisses Peter’s cheek.

“But it isn’t a joke.”

 

Flash retreats then, sitting back in his chair.

After another moment he reaches across Peter for his own container of food.

            “Um,” Peter manages finally. “Me? You – you like me?”

            “Yeah,” Flash admits.  
He says it very quietly and very seriously, gaze firmly on the container in his lap.  
“Was kind of hoping you liked me too.”

            “I mean,” Peter stalls. “You know you’re good looking.”

Flash rolls his eyes.

            “Not quite what I was talking about. Unless you’re explaining why you like me back logically.”

            “It isn’t logical,” Peter responds. “I don’t know – I mean I didn’t know. I never realized I guess.”  
His face is entirely on fire but he keeps forcing words out.  
At some point it’s supposed to get easier.  
“Yesterday when Jamie said that thing about us-” he stops there, he definitely can’t say that part. “I guess it kind of woke me up a little.”

            “I was hoping we could date first.”

Peter rolls his eyes.

            “Why do you want to date me?”

            “Because,” Flash says, “you’re smart. And sweet. And gorgeous.”  

At that, Peter can’t help but narrow his eyes suspiciously.

            “Not mocking,” Flash reminds him. “Or being sarcastic.”

            “I can maybe pass as nerdy cute,” Peter stops to sigh. “Definitely not gorgeous.”

            “I disagree.”

They sit in another awkward silence then.

 

Flash opens his container, seemingly content to end the conversation there.

“Just think about it.”

Or not.

Peter lets this silence settle.

He picks his burger up again and takes a tentative bite.

It seems unlikely that Flash is joking about this.  
What reason would he have?

So…

What was more likely?

Could Flash actually like him?

 _Gorgeous_ Peter thinks.  
He nearly shivers.

He did take care of Peter last night. And he’d kissed him.

Maybe he meant it.

 

Somehow they make it through the rest of their impromptu lunch with things feeling relatively normal for Peter.

Flash seems to be giving him time to think everything over.

He has to know Peter needs it.

            “Here,” Flash says, handing over a hoodie as Peter gets ready to leave. “It’s cold out.”

            “Oh,” Peter allows.

His cheeks are flushing all over again.

“Okay.”

He could ask where his jacket is from the night before but the thin blazer wouldn’t do much.

In any case if Flash wants to loan him a sweatshirt Peter doesn’t see a reason not to borrow it.

            “No pressure,” Flash adds. “Just don’t freeze me out, okay?”

            “Sure,” Peter agrees.  
He hopes he means it.

…

Flash gives him two days.

Then he comes knocking at Peter’s door.

            “Hey,” Peter sighs, leaning against the door instead of letting Flash in.

He’s barely left his room for the past two days, getting notes from classmates and turning in his assignments by email.

“You don’t have to let me down easy,” Flash says after a moment. “You can just say no.”

            “It’s not that,” Peter says. “Everything is just…messy.”  
He may or may not be talking about his life.

            “I’m not trying to make your life harder.”

            “You don’t. Aren’t. I’m just…scared of everything all the time.”

            “Don’t be scared of me,” Flash says. “How about we just chill tonight? Watch some movies?”

            “T-Tonight?”

            “It doesn’t have to be a date,” Flash wheedles. “It can be just you and me spending time together.”

            “Um,” Peter hesitates, biting his lip. “Okay.”

Flash smiles brightly.

            “Cool,” he says, “can I come in?”

Peter’s cheeks are hot again. Of course.

            “Yeah,” he agrees, slowly shifting to the side.

 

Peter doesn’t have a single but he might as well.  
His roommate is constantly out of the room with friends or possible hookups.

Peter isn’t sure and doesn’t really care either way.

What matters now is that he and Flash have some alone time.  
Which Flash apparently wants.

Peter forces himself to exhale.

He can do this.

            “Netflix and chill,” Flash says, “but literal chill.”

            “Maybe for you.”

            “Come on,” Flash says, “come sit down and relax.”

Peter follows after Flash, closing the door behind them.

 

The first movie passes without much fanfare but by the second Flash has scooted close enough that their bodies are nearly touching.

            “Pete,” Flash says quietly.

            “Yeah?”

In answer Flash leans down to kiss him.

Heat suffuses Peter’s entire body.

            “Okay?” Flash stops to check again.

Peter’s the one to kiss him this time.

It’s nothing more than gentle presses of lips.  
The movie’s still playing in the background.

“Remember when I told you that you looked cuddly?” Flash pulls away enough to ask.

            “Yeah,” Peter says hesitantly.

Flash sits up, moving the laptop from the bed to the edge of the desk.  
Then he pushes Peter onto his back and lies partly over him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

Flash drops another kiss to Peter’s throat before settling on Peter’s chest.

 _Oh_ Peter manages to think.

 

When Peter wakes up Flash is still in bed with him.

His laptop screen is black. It probably has been for hours.

            “Flash,” he whispers.

He doesn’t stir.

Peter supposes waking him to ask if he wants to crash here for tonight is pointless.

Instead he pillows his head on his own arm and tries to get back to sleep.

 

Flash’s phone alarm wakes them both too early.

Peter grunts, rolling over before blinking in confusion.

            “Hey,” Flash offers. “First date wasn’t bad, right?”

            “Thought it wasn’t a date.”

Flash sits up before shrugging.

            “Figure we can argue about that on our ten year anniversary.”

            “Oh yeah?” Peter laughs.

            “Yeah.”

Flash turns away to find his shoes.  
He sits again to pull them on.

“So,” Flash says.

He turns back to Peter again.

“Be my boyfriend?”

Peter feels his lips curling up without his permission.

            “I guess we can’t have a ten year anniversary if I don’t agree.”

Flash arches a brow, lips nearly smirking.

            “Probably not.”

            “Alright,” Peter agrees.

 

Flash grins.

He ducks back down to kiss Peter’s cheek, then his lips.

            “See you later, boyfriend.”

With that, Flash is off the bed and out the door; whistling as he goes.

Peter hasn’t managed a response before he’s gone.  
He’s still smiling stupidly.

He picks up his phone to send a text, not caring that he’ll most likely be late.

_later boyfriend_

Flash sends back approximately twenty five emojis.  
Most of them are hearts – so Peter figures it’s okay.


End file.
